A Brief Moment
by rynatintin
Summary: Shuu wasn't obsessing about Haruka. Not at all. Based off of Pokemon episode 438--Spontaneous Combusken. Slight Contestshipping


Author's Note: Based off a scene from episode 438. Not exactly proud of this one… Didn't have enough leeway to do much with it. Shuu's point of view, just in case you wonder.

Also! I don't know if you guys realized this or not, but I _did_ finish Perfect. I just replaced the first chapter with the finished version… So, I'm saying, just in case. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own Pokemon.

* * *

It all started with the light conversation with Haruka's group. Shuu couldn't be happier—he had just finished coaching Satoshi about his pokemon and now he would rest in this beautiful city, until he and his pokemon felt at one hundred percent again. Yes, it was a fact. Shuu was very pleased currently.

"Hey, Shuu… Did you send this to me?"

Cue Haruka sticking out a letter in her hand.

"Huh?" He scolded himself for his response to Haruka. It seriously hadn't been one of his better replies… but the letter itself had made him lose coherency for a second.

What if the letter was from a creeper? Shuu didn't think he could handle Haruka being stalked by a creeper. Hasn't she ever heard of "Stranger Danger"?!

"See, I'd love to be in the contest with you, but mark my words! This time I'm going to beat you—get it?!" Haruka went on, not noticing Shuu's blank face.

What? Someone had sent a challenging letter to Haruka? To _this_ Haruka? Why? Yes, she was getting better. Fan letters, she should get. A challenge, though? It must be from a male who fell in love with her very passionately after watching her in contests! Maybe even after he _competed_ with her in contests! This was terrible! It was probably the worst way things could've turned out!

_Alright, calm down_, Shuu told himself. He could handle this, "Except_ I_ didn't send that." Straight face… Even voice… good, good…

"Hm?" A sweat drop rolled down Shuu's temple. This was obviously Haruka's revenge against his creative response earlier.

Shuu started to get a hold on himself again. Smirking, he went on, "Come on that's not my style."—Hair flick—"You should know that."

The whole crew blessed his statement, "We should, huh?"

"Pikachu!"

Even Satoshi's Pikachu was picking on him. Hiding his blush the best he could, Shuu went on, "Hmm… Truthfully, I'm not even going to _be_ in this pokemon contest."

"Huh? You're not?"

Haruka's curiosity pleased him. Perhaps she had been even more so motivated to come to Yuzuriha Island to see Shuu. Ah, it made Shuu happy to know that.

…No. Shuu didn't like Haruka that way. Anyone who would think that was being ridiculous. He just liked being a catalyst to any situation…

Feeling that an explanation was necessary, he went on, "I've already been in so many contests lately my pokemon are wiped. So, we came to Yuzuriha Island for a little R and R."

"'R and R'? Go figure."

Was it just him, or did she sound slightly disappointed? Yes, yes, she must be very disappointed! Disappointed to find she wouldn't be competing with him! Disappointed to find that the letter hadn't been from him!

Wait… going back to that letter, his smile disappeared, replaced by a slightly confused look. He released another great response, "Huh?"

Haruka must've been thinking the same thing at the same time. "But if you didn't send me this, then I wonder who did."

Shuu nearly gasped in the most unShuu-like manner possible. Was she showing interest in some random guy who happened to write to her? This wasn't fair! He was working hard to become her number one thought, and some guy thought he could just steal it away?

Not that Shuu was pining for Haruka's affection in particular, or anything. Of course not.

Their conversation basically came to closure, and he left them with a flick of the hair, and a few words, "I'll be at the pool, if you need me. Don't forget to be kind to your pokemon, Satoshi! And Haruka… Beware of creepers."

He left them, three mildly confused and one drowning in her extreme confusion.

* * *

"Shuu!"

Ah. A very lovely voice roused Shuu from his seat. "Huh? Haruka, what's up?"

"I've got a new friend. Her name's Wakana. She's a big fan of yours who became a coordinator after watching you perform." Haruka went on, happily. She beamed a smile, which could only make Shuu smile back. Of course, her words also gave him a boost in the ego—not that he exactly needed it.

"Wow, you did? Hey, thank you!" he smiled to the girl introduced as Wakana. Her turquoise eyes struck out. They were exactly the color that would be the mixture of Haruka's eye color and Shuu's eye color. What a lovely color…

"It's… it's nice to meet you." Wakana squeaked out. For someone who admired him, she seemed to flush a lot in fear.

Haruka went on, "And it was Wakana that sent me that card!"

A girl? Well… Haruka was really pretty. Or so some said. Perhaps she attracted… Shuu couldn't bear the thought. In fact, he couldn't bear the thought of Haruka attracting anyone, but him. Yes, that girl was too clumsy. As he said, he couldn't bear the thought of Haruka attracting anyone.

"Oh! I didn't sign my name and I feel like such a total fool!"

Shuu smiled and teased Haruka a bit, "You didn't do anything wrong. Haruka just made another silly mistake."

"There's only one person I knew who would send me something like that, Rose-sama!" she rebutted, stubborn for her case.

"Rose-sama?!" What an embarrassing nickname! However, it showed that Haruka considered Shuu more than this Wakana girl. She _was_ paying more attention to him right now, right? Still… the nickname was rather torturous…

"_Roselia!_"

Not to mention that his Roselia had such impeccable timing.

"Roselia…" he groaned out.

But it was all good. The moment had passed. He could keep living on happily. He hadn't been jealous. He hadn't been overprotective of Haruka. He was just tricking himself to.

He convinced himself of all these things. Indeed, he never had been jealous or overprotective.

And if not never, then it had been just a brief moment.

* * *

Review and comment, please! Flames welcome with open arms!


End file.
